Event Planning

Dear Max, Clara and Zoë,
There's something you should know about me and while I'm sure Daddy will be sitting you down someday to have "that talk", let it be said here first: I'm either brilliant or unrealistic in the realm of weekday event planning (As opposed to weekend planning where we have your pragmatic father at the rudder!)
These events I plan for us tend to be fairly sophisticated for a cluster of 4 humans, median age: 11.375. Paramount in my planning is traveling distances in excess of 60 miles, as I decompress with distance from the changing table. The wretched changing table over which I spend countless hours wrangling babies who don't much care for diaper changes! If I were smart I'd stay close to that changing table as, apparently, we take our colons with us and then we're involved in the extreme sport of changing diapers in our minivan without the benefit of space and 2000 square feet to disperse the aroma.
I digress. These failings are a result of mamma being more of an "idea" person. In my head things always go favorably, especially when I'm drinking my morning coffee while Daddies tending to all of you're A.M. needs. I'm starting to think we'd all be better of if I felt overwhelmed on a more regular basis and stuck closer to home, but my adventurous spirit always win out! For example I've been known to think it could be great fun to take the three of you to a big city 70 miles away where there's a magnificent Asian Market. I get my ME time (at the Asian Market) and then we swing by the playground on the way home for YOU time. I like to keep it 50/50. Only on these long trips I usually don't have sufficient supplies to account for Clara's eating habits (beige food only please), Max's yearning for mobility and action figures ("How long till we're there mom? Where are my rescue heroes!"), and Zoë's extremely efficient and bountiful excretory system. So with disappointing frequency, these day trips end with all of us hungry and sad in some public bathroom (on the way home if were lucky!) where I come to the conclusion that maybe this trip wasn't such a good idea. But when these trips do go well, it's smiles and photo opportunities all around and I'm left wanting more.
More Asian Markets!
More trips to the Zoo!
More summer day's seaside with rip tides and sand eating babies!
So you're stuck with ME. Unless you decide to overthrow your leader, at which point I'll step aside and we can spend our days in gluttonous splendor eating gummy bears and watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Love, Mamma